One weekend each year, on the Friday, the Saturday, and the Sunday between the end of April and the beginning of May, all roads lead to the heart of the country, betwixt the east bank of Roaring Creek and the west side of the capital, Belmopan, to an area designated since 1970 as the site for the National Agriculture and Trade Show (NATS). Over 30,000 Belizeans and visitors from abroad are expected to pass through the gates this weekend to enjoy the show, to be educated, and to celebrate the productive sector in our land, particularly the ones who provide the wholesome and tasty food that sustains us.
According to one Wikipedia page, the first Agriculture Show in Belize was in Belize City, in 1937; in 1947 there was an “industrial, horticultural as well as agricultural exhibits” show in the Stann Creek District; in 1962 there was an Agriculture Show in the Cayo District, and it was here that “the idea of having the National Agriculture Show was developed”; and in 1970 “the first National Agriculture and Trade Show was held in Belmopan, Cayo on November 14 and 15”.
The NATS, which is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, was primarily established to showcase the products of our farmers, to celebrate them and to encourage young Belizeans to go to the land and participate in the Green Revolution. Most of the prominent agriculturists who were involved in producing the NATS in its first years are no longer with us. Godsman Ellis, Elias Juan, Norris Wade, Joe Smith, “Lalo” Garcia, Frank Arana, Roland Gordon, and unforgettable support staff like “Cleto” Mai and Lucio Chief, are legends who set the foundation for what has become the most anticipated weekend in our country.
Quite likely the April/May timing for the show is strategic, not because it is usually a dry period, but because it is a convenient time for most farmers. By the end of April, both traditional farmers and those who use machines to prepare their fields are in a kind of siesta hour, having already completed the bulk of their land preparations. There are no off days at the farm, but in this period the main “occupation” is waiting for the rains. At its onset the rest period is over. The planting season is more frenzied than the start of the Holy Saturday Cycling Classic or La Ruta Maya.
Our heroes in agro-processing, cottage industries, light manufacturing, and in entertainment will be at the NATS, but the farmers are the princes and princesses. On Friday evening the farmers of the year will receive their prizes, and on Saturday and Sunday our country’s prime livestock and crops will be on display.
There’ll be entertainment for all —games of chance, mechanical rides for the children and youth, horseback riding, music and dancing, and the climactic rodeo on Sunday. There’ll be food aplenty — tamales and various roast meats and rice & beans; and coconut water, fresh fruit juices, and watermelon for refreshment. There’ll be booths with entrepreneurs selling fruit trees and decorative plants; foods processed from the fruits, vegetables, and other produce of our farmers; and phones, toys, hats and handbags made from local materials, and many other items.
There’ll be educational booths featuring the main government agencies involved with food security. The Pesticides Control Board (PCB) will be there, showcasing its “Grow Safe-Belize campaign” which promotes “best practices in pest and pesticide management.” Since the 1990s PCB has been: registering pesticides with a bias toward those that present the least danger to human health, biodiversity, and the environment; training farmers in alternative pest management strategies, to reduce their dependence on pesticides; and training farmers in the safe handling of pesticides to reduce their exposure to these chemicals, reduce residues on the food they produce, and minimize damage to the environment.
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) is charged with “providing efficient, competent and cost-effective professional animal health, plant health, quarantine and food safety services that protect human health, animal health and welfare, plant health and the environment, ensure safe and wholesome food, strengthen national food security, and facilitate trade and commerce.” BAHA’s personnel at the entry points ensure that plants and animals coming into Belize are disease and insect free, and the organization certifies processed/packaged foods which meet established international standards for the local and export markets.
The Fisheries Department, the Forestry Department, the National Climate Change Office, CARDI, the Taiwan Technical Mission, the Development Finance Corporation and others engaged with providing services for our agro/marine producers and protecting our environment are also features at the NATS.
It’s a weekend for celebration, but for some years there’ve been quite a few farming families at the Show Grounds with troubled spirits. It’s been over a decade now that farmers in the shrimp industry have been battered by a devastating virus that has severely limited production.
Sugarcane farmers have suffered losses because of adverse weather, been hurt by extraordinarily high prices for fertilizers, and 50% of them are disgruntled because the miller, BSI, refuses to divulge information about certain costs deducted from the farmers’ share, and they have been unable to access their Fairtrade premiums.
Banana growers are slowly rebounding after struggles with adverse climate and extraordinarily high prices for fertilizers, while looking over their shoulder at a new strain of Panama Disease, Tropical Race 4, that has spread from across the Atlantic and now affects plantations south of our border, as close as Colombia. Recently, Australia licensed the use of a genetically engineered banana variety to combat this disease, but Belizean banana growers hope the disease never reaches our shores so that the industry doesn’t have to contemplate going that route.
No farmers are more on the ropes than our citrus growers who have seen their groves decimated by Huanglongbing (Citrus Greening) disease. Hundreds of farmers have lost their livelihoods and their retirement nest eggs. There have been new investments in varieties that have shown some promise in Florida, but the results so far have not been that encouraging. There had been hopes in some quarters that scientists would have genetically engineered an orange variety resistant to Greening, but that hasn’t happened, and success there doesn’t mean the variety would be allowed in Belize. Many scientists cite studies which show that genetically engineering organisms is a fix that creates more problems than it solves.
It’s not the best of times for some of our farmers, but it is in the nature of people in agriculture to be hopeful. Some in the old backbone export industries are diversifying to other more promising agricultural endeavors. The cattle industry is growing, and both Minister Jose Mai and the Belize Livestock Producers Association chairman, William Usher, have reassured us that the industry can continue to grow without ranchers felling more precious forest for new pastures. Destruction of large swaths of forest for agricultural purposes hurts biodiversity and has caused tremendous pest pressure on small farmers who produce cassava, coco yam, sweet potatoes, and corn.
Poultry production is the most lucrative agro-industry at this time; however, across the globe there is H5N1, a bird flu that has everyone a little nervous. All fingers are crossed, and the pressure is on BAHA to keep the poultry industry safe.
For farmers who are enjoying the best of times, for those who are hoping for things to turn around, and for all the entrepreneurs in various other industries, and visitors, the NATS is a festive weekend. It is the best show in Belize. To all those involved in producing the NATS, a big Thank You, and a safe, productive, and happy weekend for all!